Page 95 of Fixation

She liked that he didn’t probe and had changed the topic graciously.

“Not yet; perhaps soon.”

He studied her. “Is there a reason you’re holding back on the job hunt?”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because during all the time I’ve known you, you’ve always spoken passionately about your work, and now you’ve moved back to Dubai, yet you haven’t sought a job out. It’s quite unlike you.”

Aditya had quite cleverly gotten to the crux of her problem. So, she told him the truth. “I do want to work, but just that I haven’t wrapped my head around working in Dubai.”

“It doesn’t feel like home, does it?”

God, yes. Exactly that. Dubai definitely didn’t feel like home, but even returning to London didn’t feel appealing. So, if both London and Dubai didn’t feel like home, then where was home?

She looked beyond Aditya and saw Ananya approaching her, Vedant right behind her. His gaze was zoomed in on her. Her heartbeat accelerated.

Someone stopped Ananya to talk to her, but Vedant kept moving toward Reina, until he was right in front of her. The music changed to a sensual love song.

“That’s my dance, I believe.” His deep voice rumbled through to her bones.

Aditya turned. His eyes alternated between Vedant and her, until he arched a brow at her.

Before she could even consider what to reply, Vedant added, “I wasn’t asking, beautiful.”

Her jaw dropped at the sheer arrogance in his words.

“And she hasn’t agreed,” Aditya replied, his voice hard.

Vedant’s eyes finally narrowed on Aditya. Danger glittered in their very depths.

“Release her at once.” It was not a request. It was an order.

“Or what?” Aditya retorted.

“I’m happy to create a scene for you to find out,” Vedant countered. “In fact, I’ve been itching to do it for far too long.”

This man and his fucking caveman behaviour. It made her blood simmer.

“Enough.” Reina shifted out of Aditya’s hold.

She glared at Vedant. Her fingers tingled with the urge to hit him and wipe that supercilious smirk from his face. She looked at Aditya, who was watching her carefully. He didn’t know her story, but he definitely deserved her respect. Hence, she tried to diffuse the tension radiating between the two men.

“Aditya, this is Vedant Oshnov, Armaan’s youngest brother.” To Vedant she said, “And this is Aditya Wahi, a long-time friend of our family.”

“Armaan’s brother, hmmm…” Aditya remarked. “Well, now all that arrogance makes sense.”

Vedant’s eyes flashed, and then his entire body stilled. Even the air around her shifted. Right in front of her eyes, his entire aura changed from calm and composed to that of a man who knew how to wound and kill.

“Say that again,” Vedant said, his voice all steel.

“There you all are,” Ananya said cheerfully, barging right into the middle of that heated situation. Reina heaved a sigh of relief.

She gave Aditya a naughty wink. “I believe you owe me a dance, handsome.”

Aditya looked between Vedant and Reina, and realisation dawned on him. “Oh, soheis the complication that you didn’t want to talk about.”

Reina lowered her chin a fraction.

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